Loading ...The larger parrots can live 50 years. This conure species lives 20-30 years in the wild. The domestic pets average about 10 years, sadly due to owner neglect. I won’t let that happen. He doesn’t know he’s a bird. He only knows being raised by humans. They have ‘flock instincts’ and need to know they are part of their ‘human flock’ at home. He needs to be taken out of the cage daily and cuddled and petted and have his head scratched. He’s human bonded to me and I am the love of his life, so I cannot ignore him for a long time. Birds get neurotic if you ignore a human bonded bird. Too many owners just want a pretty decoration in a cage and they figure food and water is enough, and they ignore the bird. These birds get lonely, pull their feathers out, and adopt self-destructive behaviors.
While he is curious and excited by other humans around, and will tolerate almost anyone scratching his beak and head while he is in the cage, it is a different story when he is out and perched on me. I belong to him then, and if anyone else approaches and tries to take him he gets defensive and will bite the stranger.
I have not clipped his wings. Flight feathers are the blue tips at the end of his wings. He is just too pretty to clip. He is a reluctant flyer, and will look for a way to climb and walk where he wants to go. He crouches sometimes like he is ready to fly, but never quite launches voluntarily. The exception is if he is startled. He will jump into the air, take a quick circle around the room, and come back to land on me. Or if he is on his cage and I turn away to walk out of the room he will not let me get out of his sight and he launches into the air to follow and land on me. I try to get him some flying exercise frequently so he doesn’t get fat & lazy! 🙂